Gaseous compressing system



June 13, 1950 A. COHEN 2,511,494

GASEOUS COMPRESSING SYSTEM Filed Nov. 23, 1945 2o '23 18 m w WW l K I 3o 33 W 1 26 14 l 55 y i 29' 2 [5/ I 41 13 I 34 37 36 15 M 40 39 IN VENTC Rv 4 1M HA GWEN ATTORNEY Patented June 13, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GASEOUS COMPRESSING SYSTEM Abraham Cohen, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application November 23, 1945, Serial No. 630,362

The present invention relates to gaseous compressing systems, and more particularly, is concerned with a gaseous compressing system having an intermittently operated compressor which is controlled by the pressure of the gas,

' trolled mechanismfor stopping the motor when the pressure in the tank rose above apredetermined value and for starting the motor when the tank pressure fell below a predetermined value. v

In such a compressing system the gas at the discharge side of the compressor was always under the full system pressure. As a result, the compressor always hadjto start against a high standing back pressure, placing a strain on the compressor and on its driving motor which necessitated the use of an oversize motor and compressor. Furthermore, the presence of the high back pressure at the compressor, even when the same was idle, caused leaks therein which, though possibly small, were continuous and their effects cumulative, bringing about loss of high pressure gas over a period oat time. In addition, during starting, the motor, if electric, drew an abnormally high current which under certain conditions required special wiring and overload devices.

It is an object of the present invention to 35 avoid the foregoing drawbacks and provide a more efiicient and economical gaseous compressing system of the character described in which the high standing back pressure'on the compressor is eliminated, thus reducing the start- 40 compressor and the storage tank and disposing a bleeder valve on the compressor side of the check valve.

ing a one-way or check valve intermediate the It is another object of my invention to provide I an improved one-way or check valve particularly vide an improved check valve capableof gen- 5 Claims. (01. 230 -18) eral-use as well as the specific use of the present invention.

- It is a further object of the present invention toprovide a combination check and bleeder valve structure which enables an existing system to be quickly and inexpensively changed over to my improved system.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

The invention accordingly consists in the fea tures of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangement of parts which will be exemplilied in the construction hereinafter described, and of which the scope of application will be indicated in the claims.

' In the accompanying drawings, in which is shown one of thevarious possible embodiments of this invention, and wherein like numbers refer to like parts throughout,

Fig. 1 is a schematic view of one form of an air compressing system embodying the improvements of the present invention, and with the actual construction of the improved valve shown in longitudinal section;

- Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line 22 of Fig. 1, and showing the check valve in closed position; and Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but with the check valve shown in open position.

Referring now to the drawings, the compressed air system of the present invention includes a compressor I0 which is operatively coupled to a driving means, such as an electric motor H. The outlet I2 of the compressor is connected by a pipe P to the inlet of a combined check and bleeder valve l3, the structural details of which will :be more fully described hereinafter. The outlet end of the valve [3 is connected by a pipe P to the inlet [4 of a compressed air storage tank I5, provided with an outlet [6 and containing an air pressure responsive mechanism, such as a bellows I! for intermittently opening and closing a motor switch I8, as the pressure within the reservoir falls below or rises above a predetermined range of values.

The valve l3 comprises an elongated base 20 having a narrow, longitudinally disposed passageway 2| therethrough which terminates at one end in an enlarged, internally threaded opening 22, afl'ording suitable means for connection to a conduit such, for example, as the pipe P. The other end of the base 20 is reduced in diameter to receive a thread 23 and then further reduced to form a nipple 24.

1 A resilient sleeve 25 of an elastomeric (rubber- 3 like) material such as rubber or synthetic rubber, e. g., a butadiene copolymer, an isobutenedioierin copolymer, a chloroprene copolymer, or an organic polysulfide, is fitted closely over the nipple 2d. The airtight fit between the cap and sleeve may be enhanced by annular grooves 26 formed on the nipple and matching internal ribs 2t provided in the sleeve. Said sleeve carries the operative element of the check valve. This element, which is preferably formed integrally with the sleeve, comprises a closure of elastomeric material having a passageway therethrough.

The walls of the passageway are flexible and;.

normally are disposed in abutting relationship.

Furthermore, said element is so constructed that" air pressure from within the sleeve. will open the;

passageway and air pressure from outside the- H sleeve will press together the walls of the passageway. This may be brought about by havingtha portion of the element containing the passageway project intothe region where the pressure is highest when the valve is closed. Such ,con-

struction permits high pressure air to force. to-

ether the walls of the passageway.

In the illustrated embodiment of my invention,

the operative element of the check. valve is in the form of a conical cap 2% whose apex points away from the sleeve and has a through slit 2ilextending in a direction axially of the sleeve. Said slit lies directly over the end of the passageway 2|, thereby enchancing the checking action of the valve since theentire inner area of the cap can be flexed outwardly when thevalve is, to. pass air, whereas when checking ir, the cap can be flexed inwardly only over the region of the end of the passageway. If desired, the walls of the cap may be made thicker than the walls of the sleeves, as shown, whereby to increase the life of the valve and render itnsable to check very high back pressures.

As indicated above, it is necessary to provide a region of high pressure surrounding the conical cap and to this end I employ a hollowvalve housing 35] which :is fitted over the capped sleeve, the lower portion of the housingbeing internally threaded to engage the thread 23 on the valve base. Said housing and base cooperateto. define a high pressureair chamber 3|. around thecap and sleeve, which chamber functionsto bring about checking action of the valve in onerdirection, as already explained, and to permit sufficient space for the capto, dilate. when airisto pass therethrough in the opllosite direction;

The housing 38 has suitable meansv forconnection toa conduit. Said means includes a male threaded nipple $52 integrally formed with the housing and communicating with a passageway 33 which runs into the. high pressure chamber 35.

The valve 53, as indicated above, includes a bleeder valve, S iwhich is disposed on the nonreturn side of the check valve. Said bleeder valve may be of any suitable cons,truction,.being. here illustrated as including a 7 boss 35, integrally formed on the base 2% and. havinga. through passageway which runs into the passageway 2| within base 263. The boss is, male threaded toreceive an internally threaded bleeder valve cap 35 having an axial bore 3! in which a light helical compression spring 38 is nested. A valve stem 39 is loosely disposed within said, spring and is freely axially guidedthrough areduced opening it at the end of the cap, constituting an extension of the axial, bore 31., The inner ,endoi the valve stem terminates inavalve head il which is adapted to be seated upon a valve seat 42 formed in the valve cap 36. The fit between the valve head and its seat designedly is poor so that when the Valve is closed against the spring 38 upon the occurrence of pressure in the conduit P, there will be a constant but slight leakage of air through the bleeder valve. This leakage is very small, not being even as much as ordinarily occurs in the compressor glands.

' The system above shown and described operates as follows:

When the motor is first started, the pump Loperates to build up pressure between itself and the valve. i3, closing the bleeder valve 3 and opening the slit 29, the compressed air entering 1e; storage tank l5 and building up pressure therein to a predetermined point, whereupon the bellows llopens'the switch I8 and stops the motor and compressor. When the compressor stops, pressure inside the valve I3 is equalized, permitting the slit .29 to close and prevent backward passage of compressed .air. Thereafter, air leaks out of the,bleeder.valve. ,3 i, thus relieving pressure in the-portion of the system immediately adjacent thecompressor outlet and in they compressor itself. When the-pressure drops to near atmospheric, the spring.38.,.will open. thebleeder valvev wide, causingthe pressure to .fall all the way to atmospheric. The compressor when it next starts .now will nothave-to. operate against any, back. pressure; yet, very little air is lost through the bleeder ,valve.

It will thus be. seenthat-ther-e. is provided a gaseous .compressing system in. which the several objects, of thisinvention are achieved, and which are-well adaptedv tomeetv the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the,,above.invention,. and. as various changes might be. made in the embodiments above setfortha itisto be understood that all matter herein set .forth orshown in the, accompanyingdra'wings is to. be interpreted as illustrative. and not inn, limiting sense.

Having thus, described my invention, I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A gaseous. compressingv system, including a compressor, a. storagetank, means automatically controlled bythepressure in said tank for intermittently operating the compressor to maintain the gas in the tankwithina predetermined range of. pressure, acheck valve. interposed between said compressor and tank, the inlet end of said valve being connected to said compressor and the outlet-end. thereof to said tank, and. a valve disposed between saidacompressor: and said check valve, one.end1 of said last-named valve being exposed permanently tdthe gaspressure insaid system between. said compressor andsaid check valve, and the-other end of said last-named valve being; exposed permanently to atmospheric pressure, saidlast-namedvalve-including a valve head,za-valve seat, anda light springforcing said head away fromsaid seat, said headbeing forced against. saidseat by the-pressure in said system when said-compressor is operating and-said spring being adaptedto-force said head-oil: said seat when the pressure in said system;between said compressor and said-checkyalve is near atmospheric, the fit between, said valve seat and said valve head being poor.;so-that :when the valve is closed there iwill' bea constant slight; leakage of compressed gas.therethrough whereby said last: named valve :;serves; as ayleaky bleeder ,valve.

2. Aggaseousfiomnressinesyst m; ncluding :a

compressor, a storage tank, means automatically controlled by the pressure in said tank for interi'n'ittentl-y operating the compressor to maintain the gas in the tank within a predetermined range of pressure, a check valve interposed between said compressor and tank-theinlet end of said-valve being connected to said compressor and the outlet end thereof to said tank, said check valve constituting a housing into which an element of a rubberlike material projects, said element havin a passageway therethrough; said housingbeing disposed at the outlet end of the check valve, and a valve disposed between said compressor and said check valve, one end of said last-named valve being exposed permanently to the gas pressure in said system between said compressor and said check valve, and the other end of said last-named valve being exposed permanently to atmospheric pressure, said last-named valve including a valve head, a valve seat, and a light spring forcing said head away from said seat, said head being forced against said seat by the pressure in said system when said compressor is operating and said spring being adapted to force said head off said seat when the pressure in said system between said compressor and said check valve is near atmospheric, the fit between said valve seat and said valve head being poor so that when the valve is closed there will be a constant slight leakage of compressed gas therethrough whereby said last-named valve serves as a leaky bleeder valve.

3. A gaseous compressing system, including a compressor, a storage tank, means automatically controlled by the pressure in said tank for intermittently operating the compressor to maintain the gas in the tank within a predetermined range of pressure, a check valve interposed between said compressor and tank, the inlet end of said valve being connected to said compressor and the outlet end thereof to said tank, said check valve comprising a base having a passageway therethrough connected to the inlet end, a hollow housing secured to said base, said passageway terminating in a nipple which projects into said housing, a resilient sleeve of rubberlike material fitted over said projecting end of the nipple, one end of said sleeve extending into said housing, and having a passageway therein whose walls normally are disposed in abutting relationship to close the passageway when the compressor is idle, said housing being connected to the outlet end of the check valve, said base having a passageway branching off from the first mentioned passageway, and a valve disposed in said secondmentioned passageway, one end of said lastnamed valve being connected permanently to said second-mentioned passageway, and the other end of said last-named valve being exposed permanently to atmospheric pressure, said last-named valve including a valve head, a valve seat, and a light spring forcing said head away from said seat, said head being forced against said seat by the pressure in said system when said compressor is operating and said spring being adapted to force said head off said seat when the pressure in said. system in said second-mentioned passageway is near atmospheric, the fit between said valve seat and said valve head being poor so that when the valve is closed there will be a constant slight leakage of compressed gas therethrough whereby said last-named valve serves as a leaky bleeder valve.

4. A check valve comprising a housing provided with an inlet end and an outlet end, means at the inlet end for connection to a conduit,

means at the outlet end for connection to a conduit, said housing having a closed chember, a first passageway leading from the inlet end of the housing into said chamber, a second passageway leading from the outlet end of said housing to said chamber, an element of rubberlike material having a third passageway therethrough, the passageway through said elementbeing connected to the first passageway, said element projecting into" said chambenthe-walls of the passageway through the element being flexible' and normally disposed in abutting relationship at the projecting end of said element, whereby when the pressure at the inlet end is greater than the pressure at the outlet end, the abutting walls expand and open and when the pressure at the inlet end is less than the pressure at the outlet end, said abutting walls collapse and close, a portion of said housing having a fourth passageway therethrough branching from the first passageway and a bleeder valve having a fifth passageway therethrough and disposed on said housing portion with one end of said fifth passageway communicating with the fourth passageway and the other end communicating with the atmosphere, said bleeder valve including a valve head, a valve seat, and a light spring forcing said head away from said seat, said head being adapted to be forced against said seat by pressure in said first passageway and to open when the pressure in said first passageway approaches atmospheric, the fit between said valve seat and said valve head being poor so that when the valve is closed there will be a constant slight leakage therethrough whereby said valve serves as a leaky bleeder valve.

5. A check valve comprising an elongated base having a first passageway therethrough, means associated with said passageway at one end thereof for connection to a conduit, said means constituting the inlet end of the valve, a hollow housing, means to detachably secure said housing to said base, a portion of said base projecting into said housing, a resilient sleeve fitted over said portion, said sleeve having a closed end which branches into said housing, the closed end of said sleeve having a second, normally closed, passageway running therethrough which communicates with the first passageway in the base, means on said housing for connection to a conduit, said last-named means constituting the outlet end of the valve and being in connection with the interior of the housing, the interior of the housing being suificiently large to permit the closed end of the sleeve to dilate and open the normally closed second passageway, a portion of said base having a third passageway branching from the first passageway and a bleeder valve having a fourth passageway therethrough and disposed on said base portion with one end of said fourth passageway communicating with the third passageway and the other end communicating with the atmosphere, said bleeder valve including a valve head, a valve seat, and a light spring forcing said head away from said seat, said head being adapted to be forced against said seat by pressure in said first passageway and to open when the pressure in said first passageway approaches atmospheric, the fit between said valve seat and said valve head being poor so that when the valve is closed there will be a constant slight leakage therethrough whereby said valve serves as a leaky bleeder valve.

ABRAHAM COHEN.

(References on following page) R ER ES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS;

Number Name Date 5 530,663 Shaw Dec. 11, 1894 584,863 Farnoff June 2-2, 1897; 621,849 Rickman Mar. 28, 1899 741,828 Presnell Oct. 20, 1903 10 1,185,944 Schley June 6, 1916 Number Number Name Date Kershaw Dec. 29, 1931 Rang Oct. 13, 1933 Howard Apr. 9, 1935 Paullin June 15, 1937 Chandler Mar. 5, 1940 Browne Mar. 25, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain Sept. 6, 1911 

